Food stamp enrollment at 19 percent across Alabama

An estimated 19 percent of Alabama's population is enrolled to receive food stamps through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, representing 919,706 people, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Enrollment is expanding nationwide. Across the U.S., nearly 48 million people receive food stamps, according to WSJ's Damian Paletta and Caroline Porter, up 70 percent since 2008.

Alabama's enrollment figure is in line with other southeastern states. The highest enrollment rate is found in Mississippi, where 23 percent of the population is enrolled, a group of 672,339 people. Florida and North Carolina are at 18 percent enrollment, the region's lowest rates, the study says.